


Under Quarantine

by MarianneGreenleaf



Series: Canon and Fanon Reflections [13]
Category: The Music Man (1962), The Music Man - All Media Types, The Music Man - Willson
Genre: Charming Victorian, Clandestine canoodling, Coitus Interrruptus, Country Matters, Edwardian era, F/M, Inspired by COVID-19, Light angst with a fluffy ending, Marian is worried about gossip, Outdoor Mischief, Pandemics, Parlor passion, Passion vs Propriety, Pillow Talk, Psychological Trauma, Seductress!Marian, Spanish flu, Trysting in dreams, Unpacking emotional baggage, World War I, heartwarming domesticity, nonstandard format, smexytimes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:54:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27688574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarianneGreenleaf/pseuds/MarianneGreenleaf
Summary: The absurdities, inconveniences, and unexpected joys of staying home during a worldwide epidemic. Set October-December 1918.
Relationships: Harold Hill/Marian Paroo
Series: Canon and Fanon Reflections [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/61778





	Under Quarantine

**Author's Note:**

> I was originally going to execute this concept as a set of drabbles, but I’ve written a lot of these lately and am growing a bit bored with that particular format. So I decided to do a 30-sentence word prompt list instead, as I haven’t done one of these in quite a while. Each entry contains up to three sentences (not counting dialog) illustrating the theme.

_After the disastrous initial misstep, reason and sense ultimately prevailed. Along with everyone else in River City, Marian and Harold kept as close to home as possible for the rest of that autumn, taught their children, and kept each other’s spirits up. Days of the week became irrelevant and difficult to keep track of – even Sundays weren’t a reliable reorienting compass to mark the passing of time, as the churches were closed. While the librarian had initially insisted on upholding some kind of normalcy as to their daily activities, she couldn’t help slackening in both her routines and fashion choices: she got completely used to spending her days in comfortable lingerie gowns and loose half-chignons, to the point it took her awhile to readjust to the strange stiffness of corsets and the tightness of putting her hair all the way up once she had to dress properly again. While Harold insisted on shaving each morning, he eventually stopped donning ties of any kind, went around with his collar undone, and let his curls fall where they would instead of slicking them into place. The twins, for their part, demonstrated an admirable mental toughness throughout this ordeal despite their young age, and the music professor and librarian were tremendously proud of their daughters’ resilience.  
~In Flew Enza, Marianne Greenleaf_

XXX

01\. Photograph

Now that she was relegated strictly to the charming Victorian for the foreseeable future, Marian found herself with a great deal of time to complete all the organization and reorganization projects she had been meaning to tackle for several years now. However, she wasn’t quite the model of brisk efficiency that she presented at the library – when she stumbled upon a box of old family photographs, she spent the rest of the afternoon wistfully staring at Papa’s face, wondering how he would have fared in this fearsome epidemic, missing his warm hugs and wise advice, and wishing with all her heart that he could have met Harold and their children.

02\. Passenger

One of the fundamental maxims Harold lived by as a music professor was that one must keep up with modern artistic trends in order to stay relevant and pique his students’ interest. So even though he was unavoidably homebound, he was determined to remain connected to the wider world by letter, telegram, telephone – or passenger pigeon if need be. While his wife diligently made over their house from top to bottom, he scrupulously maintained correspondences with Fred Gallup, Dolly Vandergelder, and other influential personages in the music business across the country.

03\. Rule

For the first few weeks of quarantine, Marian was determined to maintain an orderly structure to their family’s routines, and instituted several rules for their daughters to follow. But by the time Christmas rolled around, the librarian was content if she managed to convince the girls without argument to change into a fresh pair of pajamas at least once every three days.

04\. Light

While a lot of decorum went by the wayside during their months at home, the one thing Marian remained militant about was extinguishing any lights that were not strictly required for use. Given that she and Harold were not presently taking in any income due to the closure of the library and the music emporium, it was imperative that they cut costs wherever they could.

05\. Voyage

Harold had never been much of a reader, but in the long hours stuck at home with little to do, he found himself frequently raiding Marian’s personal library in search of mental stimulation and escape from boredom. Until now, he hadn’t fully understood his wife’s assertion that to read a good book was to embark on a pleasant voyage, and since he couldn’t physically go anywhere, he appreciated the solace of at least being able to travel in his mind.

06\. Desire

Although Harold’s desire for the lovely librarian had not waned one iota, his favorite occupation to engage in with her was not possible as often as he would have liked, given the interminable proximity of their darling daughters. So he found himself in the amusing and rather frustrating position of having to be as circumspect and creative in his flirtation as he was when they were still courting. As with everything else, the music professor figured out a way to make this obstacle into a delightful little game that reaped tremendous dividends when, after a day of steadily simmering anticipation, Marian pounced on him after the girls’ bedtime.

07\. Comfort

Even though River City had taken the correct course of action in the end, Marian couldn’t help wondering if there was anything more she could have done to make Mrs. Shinn and the other recalcitrant ladies see reason before Mr. Squires’ life was tragically lost. When the guilt became too much to endure, she sought comfort from Harold in a carefully roundabout way – he knew all too well the sting of not being able to convince Mayor Shinn to cancel the parade – by asking him how he managed to be so persuasive. He gently and cannily responded, “Don’t appeal to people's better nature, darling – they may have none. It’s much more effective to appeal to their self-interest.”

08\. Aftermath

While Marian had diligently tucked away money for lean times and kept their household budget as frugal as possible during quarantine, she couldn’t circumvent the regular maintenance and emergency repairs that came with homeownership, which could be quite costly. To the librarian’s chagrin, their charming Victorian had apparently been waiting for just such an inopportune time to foist several catastrophes upon them, which needed to be addressed immediately. And on top of all that, they still had to purchase Christmas presents for the girls! So she was most decidedly _not_ looking forward to tallying the aftermath of all these financial expenditures when she reconciled the year 1918 in her ledger.

09\. Withdraw

As much as she loved her family, there were times when Marian felt the need to withdraw and take refuge in a hidden corner or closet. She had a hunch she would have needed this occasional respite even had it just been her and Harold in the house, as these uncertain times were much different from those first heady days of their marriage, when they spent whole weeks alone relishing each other’s company. Thankfully, there was one wonderful thing that remained the same: when they _did_ spend nearly all night making love, she could sleep as late as she wanted to the next morning.

10\. Misuse

Having stocked up on several supplies before quarantine went into effect, Marian found herself in the irritating and inconvenient position of needing to convert the upstairs guest bedroom into an overflow pantry for their surplus of dry and household goods. When Harold chuckled at this unusual arrangement, she archly retorted that men who could barely keep their desk drawers orderly had no call to insinuate to their librarian wives that such unorthodox organizational solutions were a misuse of space.

11\. Weave

Given that the girls had little to occupy them outside of schoolwork, reading, and piano lessons – all of which Elly enjoyed and Penny found unbearably dull – they soon became experts at inventing intricate hairstyles for their mother. Marian would permit the girls to braid her tresses and weave all manner of beads and ribbons and silk flowers into her curls for hours at a time, as it kept them quiet and allowed her to concentrate on her book.

12\. Forgive

It was amazing and disheartening how many silly spats Penny and Elly got into these days – and to Marian’s chagrin, neither she nor Harold were immune from their own ridiculous rows. But in her more level-headed moments, the librarian ruefully acknowledged that as much as they all loved each other, it was tremendously trying for two independent-minded adults and two precocious girls to be cooped up together in one house for such a long period of time. And so forgiveness became an important watchword and philosophy in the Hill home as they weathered the fall and winter months together.

13\. Locket

When the clasp of Marian’s silver heart locket broke, she found herself getting ridiculously upset to the point of tears over the damage, because it meant she had to put this deeply cherished piece away in her jewelry box for safekeeping instead of getting it repaired straightaway. G. Glanville Jewelers was closed along with every other luxury business in River City, and heaven only knew when they’d be able to reopen! When her thoughtful husband had the girls weave her a replacement necklace for the interim, she _did_ burst into tears – but happy ones.

14\. Shoes

As Harold was a man who always prided himself on being nattily attired from head to toe, he was startled and dismayed when he came to the realization that he’d gone for over a week without wearing shoes – something he hadn’t done since he was a boy. It wasn’t a pleasant memory to recall, as it wasn’t the warmth of summer that rendered him barefoot, but the periods of crippling poverty he and his mother endured after his father abandoned them. So when Harold got his first real job, he bought himself the nicest pair of shoes he could afford.

15\. Temper

Harold had been through so much worse in his life and successfully kept his temper through it all. So why did Elly’s seemingly endless rendition of _Clair de Lune_ on the piano bother him this much? When he sardonically quipped they ought to change the name of this wretched piece to _Ostinato_ , Marian gave him a sympathetic kiss and gently urged their daughter to switch to a more a cheerful tune.

16\. Boundary

While they did not openly discuss the matter, Harold was not at all bothered by Marian’s proclivity to hide in corners and closets from time to time, as he understood her need for escape. Since they could not travel much beyond the boundary of their picket fence for the foreseeable future – save for brief trips to the grocery store or to check on the well-being of Mrs. Paroo and Jane Edna Peabody – it was imperative to find one’s own place of refuge within the charming Victorian. Not only did he scout out sanctuaries for himself, he encouraged Penny and Elly to carve out separate spaces of respite.

17\. Hands

Though the Great War thankfully ended on November 11, the persistent uncertainty of these times was difficult to bear, and it did not help matters that what little news they received of the outside world and the progression of the Spanish flu was often too grim to contemplate. Despite the Armistice, the epidemic continued to rage throughout the populace, so it was going to be a long and brutal winter. Marian could only reflect that the fate of the Hill and Paroo families was wholly in Providence’s hands, and pray for the strength to endure what trials and tribulations they must.

18\. Maniacal

The cabin fever of being cooped up at home gradually took its toll on them all, but it also had the unexpected side effect of making Marian much more tolerant of certain childish behaviors. When she heard her daughters emitting maniacal laughter as they constructed an intricate and architecturally unsound fort out of blankets, pillows, and various pieces of furniture in the parlor, she merely admonished them in an amused tone to try not to break anything and to clean up the room once they were done playing.

19\. Soar

On autumn nights when the weather was still pleasant, Marian liked to sit outside with Harold on the porch swing, staring at the sky and wishing she could soar off to Venus with him for just an hour or two. When she shared these musings with her husband, he kissed her sweetly and promised that as soon as this flu nonsense was over and done with and they built up their savings again, they’d go on a lavish romantic holiday together.

20\. Dark

Harold had often experienced dark times in his life, but not as conflicting as this – after a night of jubilant celebration, it was jarring to wake up the next morning and realize that even though the Great War had ended, his beloved brother-in-law, assistant, and boys still weren’t quite out of the woods yet. For Winthrop, Tommy, and the rest of River City’s sons were still stuck at the front until spring in all likelihood, and that terrible flu may yet claim their lives even if the fighting had not.

21\. Distance

While Marian was confident that 1919 would be a much better year, it was difficult to maintain such scrupulous distance from her mother during the 1918 holiday season. For her own safety, Mrs. Paroo had to spend both Thanksgiving and Christmas alone, which she not only accepted with much more stoicism than the Hills did, but also insisted on sending them part of her home-cooked holiday dinners. In recompense, Harold and Marian insisted on doing her shopping, fall yardwork, and winter maintenance, and had Penny and Elly write letters to their grandmother regularly.

22\. Lake

Harold missed his outdoor shenanigans with Marian so much that if he could have gotten away with it, he would have spirited her out to their backyard and made love to her beneath the shadows of the pine trees. But he needed to be patient, as things would hopefully improve by summer – that gave him at least six whole months to enjoy, anticipate, and imagine the heated rendezvous they would enjoy together – which he did _very_ enthusiastically. When they finally managed to get back to the faraway field or even just the lake outside of town, he was going to whisk his wife to the nearest alcove and make the most scandalous love to her.

23\. Crave

Marian had always been careful never to take her blessings for granted, but it was amazing to realize just how many things she craved doing that seemed mundane, dull, or even disappointing before quarantine – getting a quick pick-up dinner from a restaurant, working late at the library on a beautiful spring evening, spending a whole Sunday afternoon running errands on Center Street, smiling politely through a tedious Events Committee meeting as the ladies chittered and chattered well over their allotted time. Once she was allowed back out into the world, she was determined to appreciate _everything_ about it.

24\. Flame

Sometimes Marian wondered what her life would have been like if Harold had never come to River City, how she would have weathered the Spanish flu without him, and how he would have survived without her. As she and her husband sat together on their parlor sofa, watching the flames dance merrily in the fireplace and stroking their daughters’ hair as the girls snoozed on their laps, she was deeply grateful that those she loved most – save Mama and Winthrop – were healthy and safe by her side.

25\. Admirer

While Harold loved their darling daughters and adored their precociousness, he privately joked to Marian after a particularly trying day that he had become somewhat of an admirer of the court that had sentenced Socrates to death for asking too many questions. Such was the effect of their prolonged confinement that instead of scolding him for invoking such morbid humor, the librarian burst into understanding laughter right along with him.

26\. Filter

As a librarian, Marian adhered to the maxim that silence was golden, especially when one was attempting to read. At the same time, she understood that children needed the leeway to be rough and tumble, and since Penny and Elly couldn’t often go outside once the weather turned cold, she tolerated a certain level of rambunctiousness inside the house. It was only when the library reopened that she realized just how much noise she had learned to filter out of hearing, and marveled at her adjustment.

27\. Hostility

While Mayor Shinn had graciously eaten crow once the effects of his grave mistake in holding a town-wide parade during an epidemic became apparent, Harold still sometimes rankled at the hostility and mistrust with which the man treated him throughout this whole affair. But then again, the mayor was the type of fella that needed to be constantly feted to remain engaged, and while Harold was happy to accommodate this inconvenience in order to advance his agenda – indeed, he possessed the charisma, persuasion, and patience needed to succeed in such endeavors – even he had his limits as to how far he was willing to go to satisfy someone else’s ego.

28\. Mischievous

One afternoon, when Harold was feeling particularly mischievous, he sent the girls upstairs under strict instructions to stay in their bedroom – and then proceeded to ravish his wife on the parlor sofa. To his delight, Marian was just as starved for it as he was, and didn’t utter so much as a token protest even after he undid her hair without a single care as to where the hairpins landed. Afterward, as they lay twined together in a sated heap, the librarian did blush and wonder aloud what Mrs. Shinn and her ladies would say if they knew the Hill parlor was in such a scandalous state – to which Harold chuckled, “All kinds of stuff goes on behind closed doors everywhere – always has, always will. People who say otherwise are either lying, fooling themselves, or didn’t know anything about it because they were kids at the time.”

29\. Thud

After their passionate interlude on the parlor sofa, Marian was brought back to reality rather unpleasantly when a series of thuds emanated from the twins’ bedroom – in all likelihood, they were jumping from bed to bed again! With a sigh, she started to rise to her feet – only to be pulled back down into her husband’s arms. “Never allow the demands of tomorrow to interfere with the pleasures and excitements of today,” he impishly reminded her, his mouth descending over hers for a long and heated kiss.

30\. Ruse

After quarantine finally ended and the Hill family returned to school, work, church, and their busy social calendars, Harold found himself missing and fondly reminiscing about all the wonderful time he’d spent together with his family. So at least three times a week, he came up with an ingenious ruse to ensure they had to eat lunch together. While Penny and Elly didn’t seem to be the wiser, Marian played his little game with as much delight as he plotted it – and even took the rest of the afternoon off from the library from time to time so they could enjoy a protracted romantic interlude at home once the girls went back to class.


End file.
